


i've seen what happens to the wicked and proud when they decide to try to take on the throne for the crown

by Synonym_roll88



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Swolo, Empress Rey, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Force Bond (Star Wars), Forced Marriage, Gray Jedi, I'm A Trash Can Not A Trash Can't, Idiots in Love, Post TLJ, Renperor, Slow Burn, The Force Ships It, forcetime, single brain cell between them, trope bingo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25897573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synonym_roll88/pseuds/Synonym_roll88
Summary: After the events of The Last Jedi, Rey and Kylo Ren are apart but become united by a common enemy.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 15
Kudos: 54





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, but I've been reading Reylo like crazy to get me through COVID. I hate starting a fic and getting really into it, but it is abandoned by its author, so I tried to write the whole thing before posting installments, but then I kept questioning myself and going back and changing things, and at this rate, I'll never finish it. This is just an exercise in creativity and is my corona coping mechanism, so I'm not going for perfection. However, feedback is appreciated! 
> 
> The real MVP is Wookiepedia which has been a helpful resource, even though I'm playing fast and loose with canon. For example, I KNOW the KOR are bloodthirsty marauders but I. Do. Not. Care. For the purposes of this story, they are what I want them to be. 
> 
> Lastly, the rating may go up : )

Kylo Ren thrashed himself awake, his heart beating quickly, his brow drenched in sweat. He had spent many nights this way in the past 3 months. After Crait, Rey had completely shut him out. Three months of silence from her. He was glad for the reprieve from her lofty morals; he was bereft of the presence that made him feel less alone.

Over the past months, though, her emotions were so strong they couldn’t help but bleed through to him at times. At night, her nightmares would become his. Many times they were dreams where he killed her in the throne room on the Supremacy and he couldn’t tell if it was really her nightmare or his. Other times they were nightmares of torture and pain that left him feeling nauseated.

The days weren’t much better. He had been feeling an increasing despondency from Rey which was so very unlike the spitfire he knew her to be. When he felt these bursts, he tried to tug on the bond, but still she closed herself off to him.

Kylo Ren scrubbed at his face. There was no way he was falling back asleep now, so he decided to hit the fresher and start his day early. He needed to know what was wrong with her. He told himself it was because he couldn’t run the galaxy with these distractions and lack of sleep. It wasn’t because he was worried about her.

If she wouldn’t let him in, he would have to gather intel the traditional way. The Resistance was growing bolder having been mostly left to their own devices since Crait when they had been reduced to as many people as could fit on a single ship. General Organa had been starting to recruit again and raise funds. If he could find out where their next fundraising event would be, he could use that as an opportunity to find out what was wrong with the scavenger.

“Mitaka, report your findings on the Resistance’s latest fundraising efforts”. The sound of his modulated voice was strange to his own ears after so long without a helm. lieutenant Mitaka also seemed disconcerted by the sound, or perhaps Kylo’s entire person. But that was standard operating procedure for the timorous man. Mitaka cleared his throat and looked at his data pad. “It looks like there are invitations circulating for an event in Hanna City”.

By the abyss, Chandrila of all places? But of course General Organa would still have strong connections there. He huffed out a breath. “And what sort of event is this?” He questioned the lieutenant who was shuffling his feet nervously.

“Um, well, it’s a masquerade ball, sir. In three days time”. That would certainly work in his favor. He commanded Mitaka to get him the suitable costume and concluded their meeting. In three days, he would finally have some answers and maybe he would be on the path to getting his sleep and sanity back.

<><><>

The Upsilon-class shuttle he normally used was too recognizable, so Kylo had docked at a nearby planet and rented a Horizon-class star yacht that was suitably appropriate for a wealthy tourist visiting Chandrila. Upon docking on Hanna City, he was beset with memories of his childhood playing in his mind like a slideshow. He shook his head to clear it, and made his way to the hotel Mitaka had booked for him near the fundraising venue. In addition to the onslaught of memories, he was also hyper aware of Rey’s proximity and it all set him on edge. Normally he would train or destroy things with his lightsaber to blow off steam, but neither of those would work in his hotel room, so he remained restless and on edge.

Taking a deep breath to shore himself up, Kylo Ren tried to put on the mantle of Ben Solo once more as he walked into the opulent stone building with ornate stone columns. He had always hated these sorts of things and had been dragged to many of them as a boy and so knew the type of behavior that was appropriate. Formidable and brooding would draw too much attention, and he tried to project something calmer instead. His eyes swept the room for both Rey and his mother who he sensed here as well and when he found Rey he almost didn’t recognize her. It was more than just the luxe gown she had swapped for her usual desert rags. She had always been thin from her trying life on Jakku, but now she looked gaunt. The mask she wore covered her eyes, but he knew that beneath them were dark smudges from her sleepless nights. The calm that he had tried to project fell away as a cold rage came over him.

Rey must have felt that, because her head snapped up from the conversation she was disinterestedly having and their gazes met. Immediately, he made his way toward her. Her shields were still up, but some of her feelings were stealing through the cracks. There was a bit of fear that he was here, but more than that was relief.

“Find somewhere else to be,” he said to the older man Rey had been talking to, the command laced with his intention in the Force. Taking Rey’s elbow, he led her away to fluttering sheer drapes, past them to an empty balcony. “What the hell is going on with you?”

“Why don’t you just break into my mind and find out?” Rey replied, but there was no real ire in it.

They both turned to see a frail woman with elaborate braids standing behind them, taking off her mask. “Ben,” she choked out a whisper.

It took him a moment to realize that this was his mother. It had been many years since he had seen her, and in his mind she was still as youthful as she had been. It was hard to reconcile that image with the graying woman who stood before him. The anger that had been cold before now felt fiery.

“Is the Resistance low on food?” he ground out. His mother looked at him dumbfounded. “How can you not see what is in front of you? Your precious Jedi is wasting away to nothing, tormented by nightmares. And you parade her around to these crowded events, events that she can’t stand. Then you lock her away again back on the base.” He was skimming Rey’s mind now, but it wasn’t a real intrusion. It felt like she was screaming the thoughts.

Throughout his tirade, he had met his mother’s gaze so that she might feel the full brunt of his indignation at her treatment of Rey. Now, he turned back to Rey. “Let’s go.”

She didn’t put up a fight or question where he was taking her, and that really made him worry that something was really wrong with her. As neither Rey nor Leia moved to stop him, he took Rey’s elbow once more and guided her back to the entrance of the party. Mitaka could go back to the hotel for his things. For now, he would take Rey straight to the yacht. It didn’t seem like his mother would send anyone after them, but he didn’t want to run the risk. Things might not be good between Rey and her friends, but he knew that she would never forgive him if he hurt them. Better to just avoid a confrontation all together. He gathered her into a speeder and headed toward the docking bay.

After they were gone from the balcony, Leia whispered his name once more. He was so tall, like Han, and had looked so handsome in his suit. Even if his face had been mostly hidden beneath a mask. It was too much, encountering him this way, being taken by surprise. Poe rushed out to meet her, breathless.

“General! Rey just left with a stranger!” he panted. “Where is she going? Should I go after her?”

Confronted with what her son had said, she contemplated. Why wouldn’t Rey be eating? Was she looking haggard? Did she truly feel that she was being used as a tool by the Resistance? Perhaps it was true if Rey had gone so easily with Kylo Ren. Leia needed to regroup, to get her thoughts together before figuring out what had happened and what to do.

“Rey will be fine.” She silently prayed that this was true. “I’ve given her a mission that is classified.” Hopefully that answer would be enough to satisfy the captain who always questioned everything. At least for now.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren steals Rey away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! It's a short one.

Rey was quiet and wouldn’t quite meet his eyes in the speeder. Kylo was becoming more and more unsettled by her behavior. Taking her with him hadn’t exactly been part of his plan, he had simply intended this to be a recon mission of sorts. Being on a ship with the First Order was the last thing she needed. Weighing his options, he was unsure of how to deal with Rey’s near catatonic state, and decided to put her in a Force sleep until he could figure things out. 

When she came to, she was on a plush bed in a ridiculously garish room. She groggily attempted to recall what had happened to lead her here and she felt a tug on the force bond she had apparently left wide open. Pushing the door open, she followed Ben’s force signature. Or Kylo Ren. She wasn’t really sure how to think of him. 

He was in the cockpit of what appeared to be a luxury yacht. He nodded to the co-pilot’s seat and her exhaustion prevented her from arguing as she plopped down without ceremony. 

“For months now, whatever is going on with you has been affecting me. Tell me now what is going on,” he demanded. 

The tiniest ember sparked in her. “Sorry to be such an inconvenience, ‘Supreme Leader’” she scoffed. He glared at her before returning his focus to the viewport in front of him. Sighing, she continued. “I’m just so tired. As you are aware, I’ve been having horrible nightmares that leave me sick to my stomach. I can’t sleep, I can’t keep down food. And...the Resistance - your mother - they mean well, but they have this idea that I’m too important to be of any use except as a symbol. I’m assigned busy work, doing repairs on ships, but I’m not permitted to go on any missions. I’m kept locked away until it’s time to be paraded around in front of Leia’s friends with deep pockets.” Now that she had begun, the dam had broken and she couldn’t keep it in. “Until recently, I was used to being on my own. Survival was all I had to worry about. Now I’m surrounded by people who expect things from me that I’ve never given thought to, like eating or cleaning myself a certain way, not to mention being a gods-damned Jedi. Which I have little to no training for, I might add! No one understands what it’s like. I’m so lonely…” she trailed off, looking uncertain. “And I-I’m grieving the future I thought I would have,”  _ with you  _ were the words she didn’t say but he heard in her head. “And you, you who understands more than anyone - you chose power over me.” 

A most pleasing pink tint spread over her cheeks, anger or embarrassment he couldn’t tell. It was a lot to process and dealing with emotions in a healthy way was not his strong suit. After a moment, he said “You need to rest. Take a few days and then we’ll sort it out.” 

“Ben? There’s something else. I’ve been...hearing a voice on my head. Snoke is dead though, so it can’t be him, can it?” 

He blanched. Because he was certain it was the same voice he had been hearing and it was so much worse than Snoke. “I think...I think it’s Emperor Palpatine”, he told her gravely. 

She stared out into space, as beautiful and astounding as the first time she had seen it from up here instead of planet side. Surviving life on Jakku had been so very hard, but right now it was looking like a walk in the park. She sighed, and he took it as affirmation that she would go along with whatever he came up with. Suddenly, Ben knew where they were headed. He set coordinates for Scarif. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with what to call Palpatine. Emperor Palpatine? Darth Sideous? Pappy Palps?


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reylo goes on vacation but they still can't seem to figure out how to get along.

Rey must have dozed off in the co-pilot’s chair, and as they approached the planet, she wasn’t sure she wasn’t actually still asleep. Azure water lapped lazily at a sandy beach. Trees dotted the land and a tall angular building cut into the sky. 

“It used to be part of an Imperial Security Complex. Just further east is a private island that has a residence. I have to take care of some business, but you will be free to do what you like for a few days. You’ll be safe here,” he said gently. She hadn’t cried when she explained what had been going on, but this act of kindness, these gentle words spoken by her enemy undid her. Tears rolled down her face and he did his best to ignore them. They landed in front of a large white stone building that was mostly open to the elements. Gauzy curtains swayed in the breeze in an arcade that lined the beach facing side of the house. Several semi-circle balconies jutted out, covered in tropical plants and comfortable looking lounge furniture. 

The yacht landed smoothly on the beach and Rey briefly admired Ben’s piloting skills. Not that she would ever tell him, but she was so tired her shields must be down because she saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye. A humanoid droid ambled out to meet them as the ramp lowered. “I arranged for this while you were sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb you. You’ll be safe here,” he assured her. He extended a hand to help her from her seat. It brought to mind the last time he had made such a gesture, after they had defeated Snoke aboard the Supremacy. If she was being honest, she had often wondered if she made the wrong choice turning him down. This time, she did not hesitate to take his hand. 

  
  


<><><>

He made sure the droid got her settled and then made his way back to the yacht. At this point, he had been awake for 20 standard hours and exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. But he had to return to his shuttle and figure out what he could say that would explain an absence . Everything Rey had told him about what she was experiencing disturbed him but didn’t surprise him. Except for one thing, which his mind snagged on. She said she was grieving over what could have been between them. He wondered if she, like him, had had a vision of their future when they touched hands in her hut on Ahch-to and if it had been the same as what he saw. He wondered if she regretted her decision to return to the Resistance. Somehow it left him feeling light and heavy at the same time and he worried that the hope and the light that she brought out in him would be the thing to destroy him. 

  
  


The GG class serving droid lead her past a stately foyer, up a set of grand stairs to an arched double door of a warm colored wood. “This is your suite,” it told her in binary. Those gossamer curtains she had seen from the beach fluttered in five arched openings. A massive bed covered in white and cream downy blankets and pillows took up one wall adjacent to the archways. A doorway on the opposite wall led to a bathing chamber done up in white marble, a deep tub overlooking yet another archway. 

The GG droid started drawing up a bath for her. It added fragrant oils and flower petals to the warm water and started trying to take Rey’s clothes. “I can undress myself, thank you very much” she exclaimed, affronted. The droid left her in peace and as she slipped into the tub, she felt like she could breathe for the first time in a long time. This was a strange turn of events, but she was much too tired to figure out if she was doing the right thing by being here. Against all odds, being with Kylo made her feel more whole and that was good enough for now. The bath felt amazing, but the bed called to her. She quickly finished bathing and dressed in a soft knee length tunic Gigi left for her. The sheets she slipped into were so soft and the sound of their water lulled her to sleep. For the first time in a long time, she slumbered without dreams. 

<><><>

Killing Hux would really be the easiest thing as Kylo couldn’t come up with any reasonable excuse as to why he would be spending some time in a tropical paradise. Hux was a power hungry cur and it was probably a matter of time before he tried to stage a coup anyways. Unfortunately, Hux served a purpose. He was actually quite good at his job and many in the First Order were loyal to him. Since he had become Supreme Leader, Kylo had slowly been giving promotions to people he trusted so that when the time came, he could dispose of Hux and it wouldn’t set the First Order into a tailspin. If only that time could be now, he mused. 

His hope was that after some time away from the Resistance, he could convince Rey that she belonged by his side. It might be best to be partially truthful with Hux about Rey so it wouldn’t be a surprise when she came back to the First Order with him. He could even spin it as the crippling blow it would be for the Resistance to see their last hope, the last remaining Jedi at his side, as his ally. Then he could get back to Scarif as quickly as possible. He hadn’t realized that he had badly needed a short reprieve too. 

<><><>

Rey awoke feeling more refreshed than she had...possibly ever, come to think of it. For the first time in a long time, she had an appetite and her mouth watered when she saw the array of fruits and pastries GiGi had left on a cart near her bed. She pushed open the curtains and wheeled the cart out to her balcony. A balmy breeze caressed her face and the sun warmed her skin. She breathed in the salty air and a sense of well being enveloped her. 

As she ate, questions of why Kylo had come for her and why she had gone without question entered her mind. But she quickly dismissed them. For the first time in her life, nothing was required or expected of her and she intended to enjoy it until Kylo came back and that changed. For surely, he had some design for her. 

After her morning meal, GiGi showed Rey the collection of clothes that had been delivered for her. If Kylo had been the one to order them, she had to acknowledge that he knew her taste. All of the clothes were comfortable but well made. No dresses, just lots of practical calf length leggings or loose pants made of a thin material and sleeveless tunics of varying lengths, all of it made up of light colors that wouldn’t get too hot in the sun. But for today, she was the only one there and she could stay in her sleep clothes all day if she damn well pleased. She dismissed GiGi and decided to look around the place she was staying. 

The second floor where her room was seemed to be made up of all bedrooms. The first floor revealed a music room with instruments she didn’t recognize, a lavish sitting room, a kitchen, and a reading room. Rey had read plenty of manuals in her life, but she had never read for pleasure. She perused the holobooks and landed on a book about the Jedi civil war. There was a plush armchair seated next to an arched opening and Rey settled in. A little while later, GiGi brought another cart with food and Rey was amazed that it was already time to eat again. She was so engrossed in this book she thought was historical but had to be fiction because it was too fantastical. The rest of the day was spent on this way, Rey devouring the book and any food that GiGi set before her. At the end of the day, Rey fell into her bed, but she couldn’t sleep without knowing how the book ended. She stayed up late into the night finishing it and then spent the night dreaming about the characters from the book, a Jedi Knight and a Sith Lord who had a Force Bond and fell in love. And it was just a coincidence that they looked like her and Kylo in her dream. 

The sun was already at its peak when she rose the next day. A familiar presence was down the hall, and judging by the peace she felt he had to be asleep. Showered and dressed, Rey made her way toward the smell of food. GiGi sat her at the table and placed food before her, telling her Kylo Ren had arrived very late the night before. There was only food for one, so GiGi must not be expecting him to wake up anytime soon. 

Rey decided to go down to the beach. This sand was nothing like the endless, unforgiving sand of Jakku. She slipped off her sandals and enjoyed the feeling of the grains between her toes. The closer she got to the water, the sand felt dense and wet. She waded in, wishing she knew how to swim. If Kylo knew how, she could probably lift it from his mind just as she had accidentally taken his skill with a saber. Closing her eyes, she tried to gently sneak into his mind so he wouldn’t notice. No luck there. A few seconds later she felt him glaring at her from one of the balconies. She must have woken him up. He might be upset that she had woken him, but she sensed he felt more curious than angry at her attempt to take mental swimming lessons from him. 

She felt a tug on the bond and she was incensed that he would try to summon her like a dog. If he wanted to talk, he could come down here! They were both too stubborn to give in, so they both remained where they were. Rey plopped down in the sand and stayed there until she could no longer ignore the grumbling of her stomach. She stood up and made her way back to the house. _I’m coming for the food, not because it’s what you want!_ She told him stubbornly. Still, she could feel smugness radiating from him. 

Just to piss him off, she took her time changing out of her wet, sandy clothes. When she could drag it out no longer, she made her way to the dining room where he was seated at the table. He looked ridiculous in his heavy layers of black clothing, so inappropriate for this tropical paradise. 

“When I don’t have on a shirt, you tell me to put on a cowl. When I’m dressed like this, you think it’s too much clothing. I can never win with you.” 

If she didn’t know better, she would almost think he was teasing her. That caught her off guard and she was speechless. His casual behavior infuriated her and she was reminded that he was her temporary savior but they had left things on bad terms after Crait. He was still the man who was responsible for Luke’s death, for Han’s death, and countless others. He was the man who could have saved the Resistance ships after he killed Snoke but didn’t. He was still the man who chose the galaxy over her.

“You had no right to take me!”

His hands gripped the table. “You’re welcome, for removing you from a toxic situation. And you seem to be doing better, by the way!” 

He was right, she had felt like she was drowning and she was feeling much more like herself again since being here. Not that she would ever admit as much to him. 

“If you wanted to be together, you should have just come with me. I trusted you and you abandoned me. Why do you even _want_ to rule the galaxy?!?” 

Disbelief colored his features. “ _I_ abandoned _you? You’re_ the one who left. Just like everyone else in _my_ life, you ran from me. If you had just stayed, you wouldn’t be the shell of a person you are right now. I wouldn’t have used you as a tool like they did. I offered you everything!”

She prowled toward him aggressively and poked a finger in his chest. “Did it ever occur to you that I might not want the galaxy? All I wanted was you!” Immediately after the words came tumbling out, she wished she could shove them back in. She was standing much too close to him, chest heaving. That seemed to have shut him up. She went back to her chair and began to eat. This confrontation had always been where they were headed, but it wouldn’t be resolved now. 

They ate in awkward silence for the rest of the meal. When he was finished, Kylo pushed away his plate and cleared his throat. 

“Why were you dreaming about Darth Revan and Bastila Shan last night?” 

She perked up. “You’ve read the book?” He looked puzzled. “The story about the Jedi Civil war,” she clarified. 

“It’s not just a story,” he explained. “They really lived, really had a Force bond...not unlike us. I can’t believe I didn’t recall that when I was trying to figure out what this was between us.” He gestured between them. Rey gaped at him. She had been operating under the assumption that the holobook had been fiction. Revan, a Sith Lord and been turned to the light by Bastila...but he turned because his memories had been erased. As if he could see the wheels turning in her head, Kylo said “You wouldn’t dare erase my memories. Besides, don’t forget that Bastila also turned to the dark side for a time. But no matter which one of them was dark or light, their love prevailed.” He hesitated before continuing. “This fixation of yours to turn me to the light side...you’ll only be disappointed.” She was silent again and the light that had been in her eyes winked out. 

He changed topics. “You said you’ve been hearing the voice of Darth Sidious.” She nodded confirmation. “He’s a threat that must be dealt with. I’m leaving tomorrow to try to find out where he’s hiding.”

Rey’s throat bobbed. “How is he even alive?” 

His gaze was unreadable as he left her question unanswered. She retreated back into herself. 

“I won’t go with you to find him. Will you send me back to the Resistance?”

A long pause before he said “Not if you don’t want to go back. You can stay here as long as you like. Rey...when I find Palpatine, I won’t be able to defeat him alone. I need your help. I brought some things that will help you learn about the Force and I thought I could give you some assignments to work on while I’m away.”

On the one hand, it was irritating that he assumed she would help him. It was true, though. Rey hated the expectations the Resistance had that she would just make all their troubles disappear. But when it was on her own terms, she could never walk away from someone who needed help. In this case, it wasn’t just Ben she would be helping. It would be saving the entire galaxy. 

Rey nodded her assent to complete the assignments.

This conversation had drained them both. Rey excused herself from the table and headed to the library for another book before going up to her room. She felt as weary and burdened as ever.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it a lovers quarrel if you aren’t lovers?

Kylo was gone in the morning when she got up, but he had left a large package for her. Inside was a datapad, several actual books, a strange polyhedron, and a practice sword. With it was a handwritten note explaining what the object was and how to use it. The note also instructed her to read the book on Force techniques. 

Rey settled into a routine of waking early each morning, running on the beach and doing strength training, and then eating breakfast. After that, she would open up the holocron, which turned out to be the name of the polyhedron. It instructed her in Shii-Cho, Form I of lightsaber combat, using the practice saber. After lunch, she read her assigned reading in the library until she tired of sitting still. Then she practiced her forms again until dinner. Dinner was followed by meditation and then bed. 

Rey thrived under the routine. It gave her a sense of purpose, made her feel like the ground under her feet was solid once more. As much as she was enjoying her solitude, she did occasionally miss talking to others and Gigi wasn’t programmed to make conversation. This made her think of Finn, and she began to feel guilty about leaving her friends in the Resistance without any kind of explanation. She wasn’t sure how she could get in touch with them until Kylo came back, and it was unlikely that he would help her. 

As if the Force had heard her thoughts of her bond partner, the familiar feeling of the Force bond opening washed over Rey. She groaned. The Force seemed to think that Kylo Ren was the cure for her loneliness. She pushed herself off the floor where she had sprawled after her failed attempt at meditation. 

Kylo looked exhausted. 

“How goes the search for the emperor’s whereabouts?”

“Not much luck so far, but there might be something on Mustafar. How are your studies coming along?”

“I might improve more if I had a teacher to give me feedback,” she said pointedly. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “You needed some time to yourself. I wasn’t sure you wanted me to come back yet.” 

Rey looked down, fiddling nervously with the hem of her tunic. “I’ve been thinking…I want to speak to your mother, just to let her know I’m ok.” 

Fists clenching, he ground out his reply. “You don’t owe her anything.”

“I don’t want to do it out of obligation! Lately, her protection felt more like imprisonment but she had good intentions.”

Ben quietly seethed. His calm was more unsettling than his outright tantrums. “It’s pathetic how you cling to the first person who gave you any scrap of affection, even at the cost of your own freedom.”

“How dare you!” She shouted. “You’re just jealous because you weren’t the first one to show me kindness and you would rather I cling to  _ you,  _ so you could mold me into your little dark apprentice.” 

At that, he ignited his lightsaber. Rey flinched as he started laying waste to his surroundings. 

“Then go back to the cage they keep you in,” he growled. 

“I can’t, you laserbrain! I’m stuck here with no ship!” 

The Force bond closed, and Rey felt like screaming. 

Across the galaxy, Kylo stood among the rubble of his room breathing heavily. Now that he had gotten it out of his system, he felt a bit sheepish. He was angry that after all he had done for Rey, she still didn’t see value in what he had to offer. If she didn’t choose to stay, he wouldn’t force her to. The only way it would mean anything was if she chose it for herself. 

Although he hadn’t used it in many years, he still remembered the code to reach the Falcon. He sent Rey’s coordinates and decided to let the pieces fall where they may. 


	5. Five

Two excruciatingly long days later, Rey heard the whine of engines. She ran to the nearest balcony to see the Millennium Falcon landing on the beach. The ramp descended and Chewie walked out. Rey waved her arms excitedly to get his attention and then ran down to greet him. He swept her up in a tight embrace.

_ “Little sun, we were so worried for you!”  _ he told her in Shyriiwook. 

“I know, I’m so sorry. I never meant to worry anyone,” she told him as tears ran down her face. “I’m so happy to see you. How did you know where to find me?”

_ “Ben sent me your coordinates. Get your things and let’s go.” _

Her satchel packed, she took one last look around. A pang of regret went through her as she remembered the fight they had when he took her, how he said she was the one who abandoned him on the Supremacy. He would probably see this as her abandoning him all over again. All she had wanted was to comm Leia to let her know that she was safe, but Ben had sent a ship to take her away. Maybe it was for the best as they never did seem to see eye to eye on anything. The more she thought about it, she realized that what happened with the Resistance was her own fault. If she just  _ explained  _ how she felt trapped and used, things would change. She belted into the co-pilot’s seat of the Falcon, shoving any regret deep down.

  
  


Leia was waiting when the Falcon landed at a base on Bothawui, nestled in the valley of two mountains. Her face was stern, but Rey could feel her concern. 

“Why don’t we go to my quarters for some tea?” 

<><><>

  
  


On a volcano planet far away, Kylo Ren fought through a sect of Darth Vader cultists who were protecting a Sith wayfinder. The artifact was his ticket to finding Palpatine. His need to kill and destroy was fueled by his anger that Rey was back with the Resistance. 

When there were no more opponents to cut down, Kylo prized the wayfinder from its pedestal and returned to the Finalizer, resigned to the fact that he would have to face this great enemy alone.

Rey was keeping a tight lid on her end of the bond,not a hint of whether she was glad to be back among her friends. He hated that he wanted so badly to know if she was doing alright, telling himself that he only wanted to be proven right when he heard how they were back to keeping her locked away for her “protection”. 

A week after returning with the wayfinder, he was sitting in a conference room with the Knights of Ren. He’d recalled some of them from the assignments Snoke had given them, hoping they would back him up. 

The Knights of Ren were made up of the six students that had sided with him after leaving Luke’s Jedi academy. The three he’d summoned were Mora Ren, Emrys Ren, and Arion Ren. They were the ones he was closest to, which wasn’t saying much. But he trusted them. More than Kolfrey Ren, Abraxos Ren, and Thalissen Ren, who were power hungry and would usurp him at the first sign of weakness. 

Arion Ren was briefing him on the assignment he had been on when there was a disturbance in the force. It felt like the darkness sucking everything in before exploding, shock waves coming in the aftermath of a boom. They didn’t let up but maintained a more regular tempo of pulsing waves. The Knights looked at each other in startled confusion, but Kylo knew exactly who had caused it. 

“Mora, you’re to leave for Bothawui immediately. You’re to locate and retrieve the cause of the disturbance.” He could feel her uncertainty, but knew that she would do as told. Kylo went to the bridge to order a hyperspace jump to Bothawui while Mora readied her ship. He tried to get Rey to let him in through the bond, but he was met with a wall of adamant. Not a speck of light was in her Force signature. For so long, he wanted her to join him in the darkness, but this felt all wrong. 

<><><>

The source of the ebbing darkness was easy for Mora Ren to track, strong as it was. She set down in a clearing where she could see traces of an encampment. Cautiously she disembarked the ship. Her hand hovered over her lightsaber but she didn’t draw it out just yet. 

She stopped abruptly a ways into the woods and was shocked to realize that the source of the darkness was coming from an unassuming girl. 

Dressed in threadbare clothes, the girl was unconscious. When Mora reached out with the Force though, she could feel that the darkness emanating from the girl had a level of awareness and was feeling her out to see if she was a threat. 

Mora put thoughts of her intention at the forefront of her mind, images of bringing the girl to Kylo Ren. The darkness seemed to concede. The girl was thin but tall and it was awkward trying to scoop her up. Bolstered by the Force, Mora picked up her quarry and returned to her ship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't WANT to think Leia would really leave Rey this way, although it sort of seems like a possibility. She strikes me as a "for the greater good" type. The thing I like about Star Wars is the complexity of the characters and the subjectivity of "good" and "bad". Leia did a lot for the galaxy, but she was an absolutely shit mom. The Jedi were supposed to be morally upstanding but they killed people too, they stole children from their families just like the Stormtrooper program. Leia's choice in this chapter was really just a tool to move the story the way I needed it to go, so please don't hate me for making her abandon Rey : (


	6. Six

Rey came back to consciousness slowly, like trying to push through layers of slime. She was lying in a firm bed in an austere room. There was no one else in the room, but she could sense her bond mate’s presence nearby. He could probably feel her distress as she tried to recall how she had gotten here, wherever here was. 

It wasn’t long before his Force signature drew nearer. Then he was there, his presence looming large. He was feeling something quite strongly but she couldn’t tell what. He approached her slowly, non-threateningly. 

As her mind became clearer, she remembered the events that had led to her being here and began to cry. It was too difficult to say aloud, so she reached for his hand. She didn’t need to touch him to let him see into her mind, but the contact anchored her. 

First, a vision of his mother. 

_ “I know it must have been difficult, but thank you for sharing this with me. This affects everyone here, so I feel I must bring it up to the council.” _

His mother looked much older than he remembered and worn down. Still, that steel spine though. Then, a vision of people shouting. 

_ “This is a huge security risk! If she stays with us, the First Order will be at our doorstep in no time at all!” _

_ “It’s unnatural! How can she have a bond with  _ him?  _ He might have tainted her with darkness when he took her, or maybe he brainwashed her for all we know.”  _

Then, his mother being overruled by the council. The risks of their untrained Jedi possibly being turned outweighed the need to continue using her as a symbol of hope. Leia’s stout belief in democracy overshadowed never failed to bring more harm than good. 

_ “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Rey. I have to do what’s best for everyone. We don’t have any resources to spare, no ship to leave you with... May the Force be with you.”  _

_ She pressed a gold bracelet encrusted with precious stones into Rey’s hand and turned to board the Raddus.  _

_ Rey watched as the ship grew smaller in the sky. She stretched out a hand and tried to bring it back, yelling “come back! Don’t leave me, please”! Her heart wrenched with pain and that pain was like a key unlocking the floodgates of darkness. It gave her a boost of power, but the ship was already too far away. It jumped to hyperspace, and Rey inhaled sharply. When she released the breath, it was like an explosion of the Force. She screamed and cried until her throat was raw and she felt dizzy. Finally, she sank to the forest floor and everything slipped away.  _

When he’d gone into her mind at Starkiller base, he’d seen the time she was left on Jakku, how that was a point of trauma that left emotional scars. Being abandoned all over again by the family she had chosen reopened a wound. 

He, too, had been abandoned. He remembered his father leaving him with uncle Luke. How he’d begged his father not to go and promised he would be better. 

Rey’s eyes were closed against the onslaught of tears, so she missed the silent tears that tracked down his face. But she could sense the kindred hurt within him. He sat next to the bed holding her hand for a long time, until she finally calmed and fell back asleep. 

<><><>

Rey’s neck prickled with the awareness that she was being watched. She called her lightsaber to her, catching it and opening her eyes at the same time. It hummed to life and rested centimeters from a neck that led to a classically beautiful face; full lips, sharp cheekbones, cascading waves of honey blonde hair. 

The woman didn’t react at all to the lightsaber. She simply said “Oh good! You’re awake. I was hoping you would wake up soon so we could eat.” 

Walking to a cart and removing the lid, she began piling delicious smelling food onto a plate. She brought it over to Rey, who would have to put down the saber to accept the plate. A cursory probe in the Force revealed that the woman was a darksider, but Rey couldn’t feel any malice coming from her. She disengaged and felt the woman’s inward sigh of relief. 

“I’m Mora. Kylo didn’t want you to be alone when you woke up, but he couldn’t be here so he asked me to stay with you.”

Not only had Kylo rescued her  _ again _ , but he was considerate enough to recognize her need to not be alone after everything that had happened. Oblivious to Rey’s internal musings, the woman—Mora— kept chattering. 

“—so he said you have one day to mope and then you’re gonna hit the ground running. Emrys, Arion, and I all get to help with your training.”

That caught Rey’s attention. “Who are Emrys and Arion?”

“They’re the other Knights of Ren that are currently aboard the Finalizer.” 

“Wait...you’re a  _ knight _ ?!?!” She asked dumbfounded. “But...but…you’re so pretty. And nice,” she sputtered. 

The female knight scoffed. “Pretty’s got nothing to do with anything.  _ You  _ should know that. I felt your power from across the galaxy.”

“Kylo’s got a lot of nerve, telling me how long I have to mope. Who does he think he is?”

“Well, he is the Supreme Leader and Master of the Knights of Ren. Maybe if you train, you’ll be strong enough to challenge his decisions”, she winked at Rey. 

Rey guffawed at that. “He’s not  _ my  _ Supreme Leader AND I’ve already bested him in battle.” At the other woman’s gape mouthed look she said “Who do you think gave him that scar on his face?”

Mora laughed. “I like you. It seems there is much more to all this. I hope you’ll tell me about it sometime.” 


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overseeing my kids’ virtual school is a time and energy vacuum. Should have posted sooner!

Mora had stayed most of the day, some of it spent talking, some spent watching a holodrama that Mora introduced Rey to. Mora ordered up chocolate treats and a sweet, creamy frozen delicacy, and Rey dozed off with her belly full. 

Next thing she knew, a horrible chirping sound was making a racket in her room. She found the offending item and slammed it against the wall using the Force. No sooner had she shut that noise up than a different pinging noise began. It turned out to be a droid requesting access. At least the cause of  _ this  _ noise brought food. 

As Rey was eating, Mora let herself into the room. “Hurry up, you don’t want to be late to your first lesson!”

She finished her food and quickly got dressed in black leggings, black shirt, and black boots. She would expect nothing less from the First Order. 

Mora led her through countless corridors, endless turbo lifts transferring them from floor to floor. They finally reached their destination, a wing of training rooms. “This will be your classroom. You’ll come here every morning at 0800. Rey, meet Emrys Ren. He’s going to be teaching you Force techniques. I’ll be back later!” She waved a cheerful goodbye. 

  
  


Emrys Ren was striking, with pale purple skin, silver hair, and deep violet eyes and a handsome face. Rey had never seen one of his species before. He graciously pretended not to notice her staring for longer than was appropriate. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rey. If you don’t mind, I would like to begin with an evaluation to see where your skill level is. Let’s begin with telepathy. I’d like for you to breach my shields.” 

Rey nodded and closed her eyes. Where Kylo’s shields felt like a Great Wall of polished black stone, Emrys’ felt more like an electric force field. It was impossible to get through without getting zapped, Rey thought. Her mechanic’s mind looked at the problem from many angles and she figured out what to do. Slowly, the feeling of her Force signature changed until it became indistinguishable from his, a buzzing purple field of electricity. Once it matched his, she slipped right in. Gently, he removed her presence from his mind. 

“That was very clever, good work. Onto Force stasis. I’m going to come at you and I want you to stop me using the Force.”

They spent hours going through different techniques and Rey was exhausted by the time Mora returned and took her to eat lunch in the mess hall. Being surrounded by First Order officers was supremely uncomfortable for Rey, but apparently with Mora by her side, everyone was too afraid to pay her much attention. Mora did seem to be wearing a mask; not a literal one, of course, but her friendly demeanor was gone. In its place was a facade of cold and brutality. 

Sensing the direction of Rey’s thoughts, Mora whispered. “There are certain pretenses that must be maintained. We’ll eat quickly so we can get out of here. After this, it’s Arian’s turn. He’s going to train you in strength and agility. After he’s done with you, it’s my turn! I get to teach you combat.”

<><><>

By the end of the day, Rey returned to what she had come to think of as her room and collapsed on the bed. She was much too tired to feel sad about being abandoned by the Resistance, so that was a plus. None of the Knights were anything like what she expected. Emrys was reserved, polite. Arion was a little closer to what she expected of a darksider with his swagger and snark. Like Kylo, he was ridiculously tall and broad but that was where the similarities ended. Arion had golden hair cropped close to his head, highlighting his sapphire blue eyes. A neatly trimmed beard cling to a chiseled jaw. For all his cockiness and disregard for social niceties, Rey likes him. And of course bubbly Mora was unlike anything she might have imagined under a Knight of Ren’s helm. 

All of the thoughts of the Knights and their master drifted away as sleep overtook her. The next morning, the replacement alarm woke her up and she did it all over again. 

After two weeks of long days training with the Knights, Rey woke from a nightmare that hadn’t been hers. In it, Ben had watched his father fly away, feeling the rejection of his parents, being relegated to a place that he hadn’t chosen to be. Everything in him cried out for his father to come back, but leaving was what Han Solo did best. 

Ben  _ had  _ told her that Han Solo would have disappointed her as a father figure. She hadn’t believed him because she’d  _ seen  _ how much Han loved him. But perhaps love alone didn’t make one a good parent. 

Rey hadn’t seen Kylo at all since coming aboard the Finalizer. His signature had disappeared for a few days, but other than that, she could always feel his presence. The Force hadn’t connected them at all either, likely due to their physical proximity. It almost seemed like he was avoiding her. Being near him but never seeing him was somehow frustrating, like a word that’s on the tip of your tongue, or a dream you can remember remnants of but the whole of it eludes you. And now, feeling the loneliness that echoed her own, she decided to seek him out. 

Following his Force signature led her to the training rooms. It was very late in the day cycle, but she knew he didn’t sleep much. Hesitation stilled her hand at the door, but she brushed it aside and went in. 

Six droids were attacking Kylo. When she was the one fighting him, she didn’t have much of a chance to observe his style. He moved between forms effortlessly,a style that was more savage than grace, but with efficiency and a speed that belied his size. 

She allowed herself only a moment of admiration before calling a staff to her from the rack on the wall. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to fight with him or against him when she entered the fray. Both seemed to be a happy medium. After helping dispatch the droids, she turned on him. Her familiarity with the staff and recent exercise and training gave her an edge. As soon as she got inside his guard, it was over. 

“Yield,” she demanded. His eyes bored into hers as he breathed heavily. She realized that they were much too close, close enough to see the specks of honey in his eyes, but she refused to back down. 

“I yield.” 

“You’ve been avoiding me,” she accused. 

“I didn’t want to be chastised for ‘kidnapping’ you again.”

She huffed a mirthless laugh. “Chastised is too mild a word. But I think it’s more than that.”

Guilty eyes wouldn’t meet hers and his carefully maintained shields were a giveaway that he was hiding something. 

“What is it, Ben? Tell me.” A shiver of foreboding ran down her spine. He had never minced words with her, so whatever he was avoiding telling her must be bad. He slumped to the ground and placed her hand on his forehead, an invitation to  _ see.  _

_ A dark, desolate expanse of rock.  _

_ Lightning crackling in the air.  _

_ A giant hall lined with ominous statues _

_ Then a voice.  _ The  _ voice that had haunted them both.  _

_ “At last.” The voice was so much worse aloud than in his head. “Snoke trained you well.” _

_ Kylo made his way through huge tanks whose contents he didn’t care to examine too closely. “I killed Snoke. I’ll kill you.” He still hadn’t found the source of the voice and continued walking.  _

_ “The First Order was just the beginning. I will give you so much more.” _

_ His lightsaber screeched to life as he finally came to the broken body of the once dead Sith Lord.  _

_ “What could you give me?” _

_ “A new Empire. You will rule all the galaxy as the new Emperor. By marrying my granddaughter, you will have a legitimate claim to the throne and those who seek to usurp you would be powerless to do so.” _

_ “Your granddaughter?” he asked, astounded. Palpatine laughed a horrible laugh that grated on Kylo’s very soul.  _

_ “The scavenger,” he replied. How the former Emperor could have a grandchild no one knew about and that it could be Rey of all people was hardly conceivable, but he felt the truth of it in the Force.  _

_ “You know nothing if you think she would marry me. I’ll kill you and still become Emperor,” he spat.  _

_ “Now, now, my dear boy. I think you will find it easy to persuade her once she knows that I have someone very dear to her captive. Someone dear to both of you, in fact.”  _

_ A holo of Chewie manacled and in a dim cell popped up in front of him. _

_ It felt like his heart dropped out of his body. Palpatine laughed again and Kylo needed to get out of there before he fell apart.  _

“You don't just have power,” he whispered. “You have his power. You're his granddaughter. _You...are a Palpatine._ My mother was the daughter of Vader, your father was the son of the Emperor. He wants us to marry to legitimize my rule, he wants to use us as puppets.”

Icy shock shot through her and she sank to the ground next to him. She was nobody, nothing. There was no way she could be the granddaughter of the most evil man in recent history, not when the light was so strong within her. 

“No...you’re lying, that can’t be true. My parents were filthy junk traders, you said so yourself.”

He had the good grace to look ashamed. 

“Chewie shot you, why would he think that you care what happens to him?”

“Chewie was more of a father to me than Han Solo was! He played with me, taught me to fly. He comforted me when I had nightmares, never looked at me with fear in his eyes... What Palpatine doesn't know is that we're a dyad in the Force, Rey: two that are one. We'll kill him together.”

A million thoughts raced through her head. What was a dyad? What made Palpatine so certain that they wouldn’t just kill him even with Chewie’s life on the line? How could she marry someone who had killed so many people and done so many horrible things? 

Before she had been roped into all this, she had endured a brutal life. Changes in her circumstances had happened so quickly, everything spun out of control. Somewhere along the way, she had forgotten that she was a survivor, capable of doing whatever was necessary to live to make it to the next day. They needed to rescue Chewie and stop Palpatine. If marrying Kylo Ren, or Ben or whoever he was would buy them time for her to train in the Force and grow strong enough to defeat him, that’s what she would do. 

It appeared Ben had been privy to all her thoughts and he looked absolutely stricken. Whether it was her opinion of his misdeeds or the prospect of marrying her that bothered him she couldn’t say. 

“We’ll play his game. For now,” she stated confidently. “What’s our first move?”

<><><>

They stayed up late into the night discussing logistics. How to ensure Chewie’s safety without making it seem like Rey was  _ too  _ eager to marry Kylo Ren; the most strategic location to set up their base of operation; what to do about Hux who would undoubtedly have a problem with being under the thumb of another force user. 

Neither of them were used to doing so much talking, and the difficulty of their situation was made no easier by the strange camaraderie of a common goal. They parted and Rey went back to bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast  asleep . 

_ A young boy with dark brown waves and hazel eyes used the Force to pull Rey towards him. He ripped into her mind, his face twisted with fury. Rey screamed until her throat was hoarse. She collapsed to the floor, barely conscious. A sinister laugh. “Very good, my young apprentice. You will practice using lightning on your next subject.”  _

_ Rey’s eyes cracked open as she saw their son shock Kylo Ren with angry purple lightning and she started screaming again.  _

Sweat mixed with tears on Rey’s face as she bolted up in bed. She nearly had a heart attack when she felt something next to her. Startled, she turned to see Kylo. In her bed. His eyes were alight with panic and fear, his breathing heavy as he tried to regain control. He wasn’t really there. Their shared nightmare must have activated the Force bond, bringing them together. Awareness started to come back to her and she realized she held Ben’s arm in a death grip. One by one she forced her fingers to loosen. When they had both calmed down some, they laid back down, their arms barely touching. Never speaking. Laying awake for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep once more. 

Fear and doubt started creeping into the space that the nightmare had cracked open. Afterall, with their marriage, Ben was getting everything he wanted —for them to rule the galaxy side by side. This could be a scheme he had cooked up to manipulate her. When Rey was certain Ben was fully asleep, she placed a hand lightly on his temple. It took a deft hand to sift through his memories gently enough that he wouldn’t sense the intrusion. She replayed his entire encounter with Palpatine, satisfied that Ben was being truthful. It didn’t make her any less angry, though. His vision of them on the throne together would come true. She would be saddled with responsibility for a galaxy whose politics she understood little of, thrust into the midst of the organization that she had been fighting against, that wanted her dead. Rey sighed, trying to ignore the body next to her. She needed to be rested to face what lay ahead. 

<><><>

When he woke in the morning, he was alone in his own bed. It was decided that Rey would be “reluctantly” brought before Palpatine and would concede to his plan for their union. They would try to find out where Chewie was being kept and beyond that, try to stay alive and not be tortured. Kylo had sent a communique to General Hux telling him to meet him on Exegol. Hopefully, upon seeing the new fleet of ships that he would have command of in exchange for this marriage, he would be distracted with the illusion of his own power until a more long term solution could be implemented. 


	8. Eight

“This really is most unusual, Ren,” Hux sneered. Kylo Ren ignored him, leading Rey, who was in her desert rags once again, past him to enter the Sith temple. Hux, of course, followed but didn’t desist trying to get a rise out of his nemesis. “And you’ve brought the mangy little Jedi, a lamb to slaughter. You’ve never been able to kill her; it’s fitting that she will meet her end by the hands of one much more powerful than you.”

Kylo Ren normally had a short temper when it came to Hux, but was too preoccupied to be aggravated right now. Rey, on the other hand, who also had quite a temper, was glad for the distraction from what she was walking into and was more than happy to put this vexing orange man in his place. She used the Force to covertly move a rock directly into his path and he fell onto his face when he tripped over it. Rey gave him a winsome smile and caught up to Ben and was quickly sobered as she saw the horribly deformed figure suspended in front of her. 

“Long have I waited... for my grandchild to come home. The dark side is in your nature. I can feel the power of your hatred, Empress Palpatine. You _will_ take the throne. It is your birthright to rule. It is in your blood. _Our_ blood.” He finally took notice of Hux. “Kneel before your Empress!” he commanded. Hux. 

Every force sensitive there could feel the indignation of the General as he reluctantly kneeled. Rey waited a long moment, relishing this heady power over such a loathsome man before finally telling him to rise. 

“Oh yes, dear child, power suits you.”

Palpatine found himself on the receiving end of one of Rey’s defiant looks. “I’ve only come here to make sure Chewie is alright. I haven’t agreed to take the throne or marry the Supreme Leader. I demand to see personally that Chewie is safe and well cared for before I agree to anything.”

Hux couldn’t take anymore of these surprises. The scavenger was an empress? She and Kylo Ren were getting married? Had they brought him here simply to make a mockery of him? No one was paying any attention to his gaping mouth though. 

“I would expect nothing less. He is being kept on a satellite in an undisclosed location. As long as you cooperate, he will remain safe. You will be permitted to see him via holo to verify his welfare.”

  
  


Rey gave a swift dip of her head in agreement. It would have to be good enough for now. Palpatine spoke again. “The wedding will take place on Naboo in one month.”

Finally, the former Emperor addressed Hux. “This fleet of star destroyers will be yours to command. With them, and with the leadership of the two most powerful people in the galaxy, we will finally bring the galaxy to order. The Final Order.” He lifted his hand and the ground began to shake. Countless Xyston-class Star destroyers rose to the sky, rubble falling off them like rain. Hux smiled a viper’s smile. “It will be done, your majesty. Please excuse me, there are many plans to make.” He bowed low and turned to leave. 

<><><>

There was a palpable tension on the way back to the Finalizer. 

“Ben, what are we going to do? I’m afraid that even if I trained for years, we still wouldn’t be able to defeat him. And if we defeat him, how do we make sure he stays dead this time?”

Ben met her eyes with an intense gaze. “Give yourself over to the darkside. It will strengthen you, it will unify us.”

“You’ve got to be kidding! You told me not to try to change you, and here you are trying to change me. The way to darkness is through pain and subjugation,” Rey argued.

He slammed his fists on the dashboard. “Then there is nothing more to say! Chewie will die and the galaxy will perish under tyranny!”

Rey felt frustrated tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Everything about this situation felt impossible. The rest of the trip was spent in silent separation. 

<><><>

When they got back to the Finalizer, Kylo led her through corridors, up maglifts, and finally to a short hallway with only 4 doors. He keyed one to her palm. Sensing her confusion, he gruffly explained that the room she had been staying in was his, but now that she would be a fixture on the ship, he was moving her to her own space. 

She felt bad that she had displaced him and he hadn’t said anything. When she turned to apologize, he was already gone. 

The room was small, floors shiny. It had a single bed, a built in dresser, and a small table with two chairs. Best of all, it had a viewport AND a private fresher. A knock sounded at the door a few minutes after she had unpacked her meager belongings. Moments later, Mora burst in. 

“Congratulations on the engagement, your majesty!” she said teasingly.

Rey glared at her.

“Come on, get changed,” she threw a dress at Rey. “You’ve got to go announce your engagement to the galaxy and you’ve got to look the part.”

Rey groaned. Deep breath, deep breath. Maybe she could steal a shuttle and disappear into oblivion. Mora just chuckled. Once Rey was dressed in a black dress, she led Rey to a hangar bay that was devoid of ships but packed full of stormtroopers. A stage and podium were set up in front of a giant holoscreen. Kylo was waiting for her at the entrance to the hangar. 

He wanted to take her hand, but she could sense that he was afraid that she would reject him once again. Before she could second guess, she quickly reached out and grabbed his hand. There was a certain rightness to it that she couldn’t deny, even if they were still angry at each other. Together, they entered the hangar and walked up the steps to the stage. The hideous face of Darth Sidious loomed on the screen. 

“Subjects of the Empire, my power knows no bounds. Not even death itself could defeat me! I return to you in these troubled times to restore order to the galaxy. After searching for many years, my granddaughter has been returned to me at last. She will take her rightful place on the throne and join with Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader of the First Order, in marriage. Together, they will lead you into an age of peace and prosperity as has never been seen before. All hail her Imperial Majesty Rey Palpatine!”

A hovercam flew in front of Rey and Kylo and the feed cut to the image of them hand in hand. As one, the stormtroopers bowed before them. Rey felt uncomfortable with all the attention and she was grateful for the encouragement Kylo was sending through the bond. 

_You’re going to have to get used to the attention._

_I’ll need a mask too, then._

After the announcement, Kylo spoke softly to her. “I only had time to brief the council on the barest of details regarding this turn of events. Will you join me in meeting with them?”

Tired, hungry, and angry though she was, she didn’t want anyone to get the idea that she was a figurehead. She hadn’t wanted the power, but now she had it and she was going to use it. He read her intent and led her through the massive star destroyer. 

“I need the schematics of the ship so I can get around without you. And a holopad would be good, too.”

He nodded. “You’ll have someone to assist you and act as your liaison to the First Order, if that is satisfactory.”

It seemed polite indifference was the way to move forward, glossing over their altercation.

Rey nodded her assent as they entered a large conference room where admirals and generals were already seated at the shiny black oval table. There was only one chair at the head of the table, but Kylo used the Force to draw an empty chair next to it for Rey. 

“I know this is unexpected and will take some time to get used to,” he began.

“Unexpected?! The Jedi Killer marrying the last Jedi is preposterous! Up until now, she was with the Resistance. How do we know this isn’t a trick, an infiltration?” a gray haired general with a severe face interrupted. 

Kylo Ren fixed the man with a glare that couldn’t be seen from behind the mask, but the ire of which was palpable. 

“General Pryde, you served Darth Sidious during the galactic civil war. You dare doubt that Rey is his heir and this alliance is his will?” That shut the general up. “This is a briefing, not a sharing circle. The wedding ceremony will take place on Coruscant in one month, followed by a coronation ceremony. Both ceremonies will be broadcast. After that, we will move our base of operations to Moenia on Naboo. By moving the seat of power from the Core worlds, new trade routes can be established and planets that didn’t thrive under the corruption of the Republic will begin to develop commerce.” 

Kylo Ren nudged Rey mentally and she gathered the courage to speak up. “There will be a new initiative to find out what skills enlisted personnel had before joining the First Order. As we transition from war into a time of peace, those skills will be used to repair damage done by the war and strengthen economies. Phase one will see First Order ambassadors visiting each planet to find out their needs and establishing our presence there.”

Kylo spoke again. “That concludes our meeting for today. Our next step will be setting up committees and interviewing candidates to be ambassadors. Any questions you have can be directed to Lieutenant Mitaka and will be answered at a later time.” 

He swept out of the room. 

_That went pretty well, didn’t it?_

_Well, I didn’t use the Force to choke anyone or slam them into a wall. But I can sense that many of them aren’t happy with these developments. They’ve been part of a war machine for too long._

  
  


Switching to speaking aloud, he said “You leave for Coruscant for tomorrow. You’ll get fitted for a new wardrobe and your wedding gown and then you’ll meet with a wedding planner. You’ll only be gone two days.” 

Rey looked at Kylo questioningly. “General Hux won’t stage a coup in our absence?”

“I’m staying here, only you will be going to Coruscant.”

She gave him a look that could freeze over Mustafar and said through narrowed eyes “I see.”

Rey stalked toward the Supreme Leader. 

“So you’ll stay here doing meaningful work while I plan a frivolous event and play dress up. Why is it that the trivial _jobs_ fall to me? Am I not your equal?”

“Those are things that have to get done. The wedding has to be planned and you have to have clothes unless you plan to parade around The Finalizer naked.” He was reading his holopad, wasn’t even taking her seriously and it infuriated her. She knocked the holopad out of his hands and her voice became cold. Commanding. 

“I’m more than your equal. I outrank you. I have important things to take care of and I will NOT waste my time planning a stupid wedding that I never wanted. _You_ meet with the wedding planner.”

There was a fire in his eyes. “Is that an order?”

She screamed at him. 

“You’re getting everything you wanted. You wanted me to rule by your side, you wanted a pupil to conform to your ways. I never wanted any of this!”

He raised his voice to match hers. “You’re so blind, how can you not see that you’re getting what you wanted too! Unlike Skywalker, I’ll teach you how to use the Force. You’ll be in a position to do good for the galaxy, make real changes that help people like _you._ You’ll never go hungry, or be alone again!” 

They were both breathing heavily. The hall they were in was suspiciously empty. 

“We will send for a seamstress to come here. Mora can plan the wedding. You’ll continue your training with the knights and begin interviewing candidates for ambassadorship and any other initiatives you want to put in place.”

  
  


“Yes, Supreme Leader,” she replied sarcastically. He glared at her before turning and walking away. 

  
  


Rey blamed her desire to smash things with her lightsaber on prolonged exposure to her darkside soul mate.


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they get married

The month before the wedding went by quickly. Rey had settled into a routine and had advanced considerably in her training. She found she enjoyed her work. It gave her the chance to talk to people from many different places and backgrounds. Her nights had been mostly nightmare free. Her time had also been strangely Kylo free. Their communication was through comms or underlings and the bond hadn’t connected them in a long time. 

That’s why it was strange when the night before their wedding, she found Kylo in her room through the bond. This was the first time she had seen him since their return from Exegol.

Rey sighed. “You’re on my bed.”

“No, I’m on my bed,” he said argumentatively.

_ Can we just get along for once? I’m tired. I’m….nervous about tomorrow. _

“It doesn’t feel real yet,” he replied. 

“Nothing about this feels real. If someone had told me this would be my life, I would have said they were suffering sun poisoning.”

“My parents’ marriage was a disaster,” he offered. “I didn’t have a great example of marriage.”

“I didn’t have  _ any  _ examples of marriage. People don’t really get married on Jakku.”

She took her sleeping clothes into the fresher to change. Then she sat on the very edge of the bed, as far from Kylo as she could be as she roused the courage to be vulnerable.

“The vision I saw when we touched hands all that time ago...it was the two of us, waking up in bed together. Sunshine was steaming through the window. Then a little boy ran into the room and jumped into bed with us. We were a real  _ family _ . It was something I hadn’t ever thought about, having a family. The way I felt in the vision though, it made me want that...with you—more than anything I’ve ever wanted. Then you didn’t come with me after what happened on the Supremacy and I thought that was out of my reach. You’ve had the nightmares too, about our son, and I don’t want that to become a reality. Since we can never see eye to eye on anything, I guess there is nothing to worry about.”

Kylo was caught completely off guard. How could everything have gotten karked up so badly? They both wanted to be together, but he had said all the wrong things after their glorious defeat of Snoke. It felt like she was telling him it was too late now. Even though they were going to be married, they would never be  _ together.  _ And that made him feel incredibly sad. He couldn’t handle being rejected by her once again, which is why he had avoided her since she came aboard. Maybe it didn’t have to be too late, though. Maybe there was a way that both of their visions could still come true. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice that she was gone. 

<><><>

As Ben got ready for his wedding the following morning, he felt a pang in his chest. There was no one else there getting ready with him. No friends, no father. Rey was the only meaningful person in his life, but of course she was getting ready in her own room. His chest swelled with regret that his father wasn’t there, making inappropriate jokes and toasting with Corellian whiskey. He had to shut down that train of thought before it could spiral out of control. 

A knock at the door revealed Lieutenant Mitaka, as nervous as always. “Sir, it’s time to go.” 

The wedding venue was in a temperate conservatory, plants and flowers and trees mixed in with what looked like stone ruins of architecture. There was a small waterfall, and in front of it a platform that was reached by stairs that were hewn from rock. That was where Ben waited for his bride. It wasn’t a huge venue, so there was only a small gathering of guests made up of dignitaries representing many planets and high ranking First Order personnel. The rest of the galaxy would just have to watch the broadcast. 

The officiant, who bestowed a genial smile on the groom, was met with a glare. Kylo was just ready to have this over with. Until the music changed, and he saw Rey in her gown for the first time. She wore a diaphanous gown that had tight, sheer long sleeves and dipped down in a deep vee. The top was a dusky blue that faded into the lightest pink at the bottom, and decorative silver beading was concentrated at the top and became sparser further down the skirt. It reminded him of the first stars coming out at sunset. She was stunning and he was incapable of coherent thought. 

_ Stop looking at me like that!  _ She chided.  _ I know, I look ridiculous.  _

She definitely misread whatever look he was giving her. But he decided to tease her to set her at ease. 

_ You know, the Jedi believed that marriage leads to the dark side. Maybe they had it all wrong, it wasn’t the marriage itself just the horribly uncomfortable attire worn to the ceremony.  _

Her eyes warmed and it made him feel light inside, like he might just float away. Then she was at the end of the aisle, placing her hands in his. 

Neither of them were paying any attention to what the officiant was saying. Rey was just as dazzled by Ben’s appearance as he was by hers, and they were lost in each other’s eyes. And then, the officiant seemed to be repeating himself trying to get their attention. They affirmed their commitment to each other and then the officiant said “let us seal this union with a kiss.” 

Kylo was frozen in place, so Rey put her hands on either side of his neck, brushing his unfairly soft hair in the process, and pulling his face down to hers. Their lips met in a chaste kiss that nonetheless sent a shock of electricity through them both. Then everyone was clapping and they were on their way back down the aisle. 

<><><>

There was to be a small reception for the guests before the coronation ceremony took place at the Royal Palace. For Rey, this window of time involved an outfit change. As someone who had only owned one set of clothes until recently, this seemed excessive. Admittedly, she loved the coronation gown. It was a deep, velvety blue with golden embroidered vines climbing up from the bottom. Like her wedding dress, the front dipped in a vee, but the back was a cape with long slits for her arms. It made her feel like royalty. 

Mora Ren was waiting to take her back to the hotel for the outfit change. 

“Ben? I’m going to need my hand back.” 

He hadn’t even realized he was still holding her hand. Without thinking, he brought her hand to his mouth and brushed the knuckles with his lips before releasing her. The small shudder that it caused Rey didn’t escape his notice. He watched her go, wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into. 

<><><>

This time, they walked the aisle together, her hand tucked into his elbow. The Palace was packed full of eager onlookers. The aisle felt like it would never end, but they were finally at the end, climbing a dais. Since they were borrowing Naboo’s Royal Palace, the queen of Naboo was presiding over the coronation. She waited for them in outlandish garb that Rey was grateful  _ she  _ didn't have to wear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the corner of Ben's mouth quirk up in the beginning of a smile at the thought. She smiled but then became embarrassed remembering that his grandmother had been a queen of Naboo and had worn similarly outlandish gowns. 

The queen gave a subtle nod that was their cue to kneel. There had been a lot of discussion around what Ben’s title would be. Traditionally he would have been crowned her consort, but Rey said that he had worked so hard for his power that he should be Emperor. It also meant he would have to take half of the responsibility which was the real reason she suggested it. 

The queen’s voice rang out loud and clear. “Are you willing to take the oath?”

They answered together, “I am willing.”

“Do you solemnly promise to govern the galaxy with a fair hand, causing justice to be executed in your judgements?”

“I solemnly swear.”

“Will you use your power to maintain peace and order throughout the galaxy?”

“I will.”

“Will you rule each world in accordance to their respective customs?”

“I will.”

“I crown you Empress Rey Palpatine and Emperor Kylo Ren, long may you reign.”

“Long may you reign,” the crowd repeated. Ben and Rey rose and turned to walk down the aisle for the last time of the day. There was a celebration following the coronation in the palace ballroom. The queen, who had followed them down the aisle led them to a small receiving room. She went to a table and poured them each a flute of bubbling liquid. 

“A toast, your majesties. May your rule be free from the mantle of the past. May you forge a new way forward.”

_ Where have I heard something like that before? ‘Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.’ You bribed her to give that toast, didn’t you? _

“I’ll drink to that,” he said. 

The queen drained her glass and left, giving them a moment alone before they would be announced at the celebration. 

“On Jakku, I would sometimes go days without talking to anyone. Being surrounded by people all the time is wearing me out! It seems I traded one yoke for another. Now the expectations are even worse,” Rey said glumly. 

“For the next two days, you can do whatever you want. I wanted to surprise you with a short honeymoon.” He blushed. “It doesn’t have to be a honeymoon in the traditional sense. Just a short break from responsibility.”

“A break is exactly what we need! I, uh, don’t actually know what a honeymoon is though.”

His face flushed even darker. “In many cultures, the couple goes away somewhere special after the wedding to consummate the marriage.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, drinking the rest of her drink quickly. She was saved further embarrassment by a servant who came to show them to the celebration. 

Even though she had been practicing her table manners over the past month, she was too worried she would make a fool of herself in front of all these people if she ate. She was hungry, uncomfortable, and tired of being under the scrutiny of so many people and had grown very on edge. As they were talking to yet another dignitary who wanted to discuss policies they hoped to have made, Ben could sense that Rey was one conversation away from going feral. 

“I’m sure you’ll understand, her majesty and I have had a very long day. We can discuss this at another time.” He steered Rey away before the man could bid them goodnight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been consuming books like crazy to deal with the stress of life but I think I'm ready to start writing again. I'm a little bit panicked because I'm not exactly sure where this is going, I mostly just wanted to write about a marriage of (in)convenience.
> 
> Rey's wedding dress inspo: https://synonym-roll88.tumblr.com/post/621676404382318592
> 
> Rey's coronation dress inspo: https://synonym-roll88.tumblr.com/post/621676495744778240/saiid-kobeisy-wings-of-eternity-couture-collection


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a wedding night occurs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double chapter update because it's Friday

The grav-car to the hotel was quiet other than the grumbling of Rey’s stomach. She was so tired and wanted nothing more than to change out of her dress and scarf down food. But when she got to her room, her hand print wouldn’t open the door. She commed her assistant. 

“Vialik, there’s something wrong with my door and if I don’t get out of this dress in the next 4 seconds, someone will be losing a hand.”

“Oh, er, your majesty, I—uh moved you and His majesty to the penthouse suite since it’s your wedding night and all.” 

This was the last thing she wanted. She stomped her way to the maglift and brooded her way to the penthouse. By the time she got there, it was more than just the discomfort and hunger that had her in a tizzy. Darkness had gathered around her as the door opened. It was the first time she had ever seen Kylo Ren look at her with fear. 

“Get me out of this dress!” she commanded him imperiously, giving him her back. He couldn’t figure out how to get it undone, the zipper must be hidden somewhere. “Just rip it,” Rey growled.

He blushed furiously as he ripped the gown, his ungloved hands brushing the bare skin of her back. The dress pooled around her feet and he turned away. Just then, a knock at the door revealed a serving droid with a tray of food and some bottles. Rey wasted no time getting dressed, her need for food outweighing her need for modesty. Ben brought her a robe, his cheeks tinged pink. 

“I knew you had to be hungry. I haven’t seen you eat anything all day. So I went ahead and ordered food as soon as I got here.” 

Rey was surprised by his thoughtfulness, both with the food and the robe. “Good thing, too, otherwise I might just have eaten you.”

Seemingly, she was too preoccupied with eating to notice his face and neck turn scarlet red. It seemed Rey naively didn’t understand the double entendre. It made him wonder how much about human reproduction she knew since she’d had no education and no parents to explain things. This night felt out of control already, he needed to stop being so easily embarrassed by everything and stop blushing. He was the Emperor, for kriff’s sake!

Unfortunately for him, all of his recent blushing hadn’t gone unnoticed, simply filed away for a later time. Rey thought she could quite enjoy figuring out all the ways she could get that reaction from him.

Ben downed a glass of whiskey and poured another. He offered a glass wordlessly to Rey who accepted, and gulped it down. She sputtered and looked at him with great offense. Meanwhile, he laughed. Rey gave him a look he couldn’t read and he grew self conscious. 

“I’ve never seen you laugh before,” she said with wonder. Behind the shields of her mind, she thought about how it changed his entire face, how handsome it made him and then chided herself for having those thoughts. 

Now that Rey was finished eating, Ben wasn’t sure what to do. He never really had free time. On the rare occasion he was in his room aboard the Finalizer, he did work or mediated with Darth Vader’s helmet. He must have been projecting his uncertainty. 

“I’m not used to free time either. My life on Jakku was all about survival. Everything I’ve experienced since leaving has felt strange. I didn’t know there was any other way life could be.”

He regarded her thoughtfully. “Now you’ve experienced more. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about saving the galaxy?”

She didn’t hesitate to answer. “I’d like to travel. Interviewing all the ambassador candidates I’ve heard about all kinds of different places. I want to see them all. Your father offered me a job aboard the Falcon. I could see myself doing that.”

He looked at her sharply and she berated herself for mentioning Han. This was the first time they’d had a conversation that didn’t end in yelling. 

She swallowed the rest of her disgusting drink and refilled Ben’s cup as a peace offering. 

He accepted it and drank it in one go. “I can see that too. He would have been lucky to have you.” 

It cost him a lot to say that. “I’m going to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch, you can take the bed.”

Rey nodded absentmindedly and went to the bedroom of the suite. For a little while, she tried to read one of the books she took from Scariff. After re-reading the same sentence three times, she gave up, turned off the lights, and laid under the covers. Ben was still awake and though he tried to maintain barriers, she could feel his sorrow seeping through.

Perhaps bolstered by the slight buzz of liquid courage, she went to him. He was curled in on himself on the sofa, in the dark. When she reached out to touch him, she felt him shaking softly. Having never comforted or been comforted, Rey was unsure of what to do. There was a brief glimpse in her mind of Ben as a child, his mother gently running her fingers through his hair after a nightmare. She sat on the arm of the sofa and hesitantly placed her hand on his head. His beautiful hair was just as soft and luscious as she had imagined...not that she had given it much thought. The repetitive motion had a meditative quality. Rey lost herself in a feeling of wholeness. The Force hummed around them as if this was the very reason it had connected them in the first place. When her eyes began to droop, she stood, pulling Ben with her. She led him to the bed where she promptly fell asleep, contentment like a warm blanket around her. 


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honeymoon (this was tagged slow burn so don't get your hopes up)

Rey groaned as the buzzing of her comlink stirred her from sleep. Her hand reached out blindly, skimming over a large, deliciously warm boulder as she searched for the offending noise on the nightstand so she could turn it off. Ben’s eyes flew open and he abruptly tried to sit up. Unfortunately, he was very much entangled with the owner of the hand who had startled him. The hand that reached to shut off the commlink was draped over his arm, legs tangled up with his. Rey groaned and pulled him tightly to her. “Just a few more minutes.”

Ben laid there very stiffly, unused to being touched and unsure that Rey would actually want to be cuddled up with him if she were more awake. 

A knock sounded at the door. It seemed that Rey was not going to be getting up, so he got out of bed, his head spinning. It was Lt. Mitaka who must have drawn the short stick again. Standing there nervously, he addressed Kylo Ren. “I’m so very sorry to disturb you, sir, oh--forgive me, I mean to say your majesty. Your transport is ready and you and her majesty weren’t responding to our hails, so I was sent to make sure everything was alright.”

Kylo hated being seen in his sleep clothes and without a mask by an underling. He tried his very best to redeem this awkward encounter and hide his embarrassment and levelled Mitaka with a glare. 

“As you can see, we are just fine. If we had wished to be disturbed, your hails wouldn’t have gone unanswered.”

“Y-y-yessir, I’m sorry sir. I mean, your majesty.” Mitaka stammered and seemed to deflate. 

“Tell the pilot of the transport to wait on standby.” He watched as the lieutenant scurried away.

He shut the door and turned to see Rey standing right behind him. “You should really be nicer to that poor man,” she chided. 

“Oh, so you won’t get up to answer the door, but you have no problem getting out of bed to reprimand me.”

She ignored his comment as she pulled on clothes. They were back to bickering. Ben was going to pretend that last night hadn’t happened, and that was fine by her. She ordered up some caf from the holopad and then went into the fresher. It seemed neither wished to address the way they had woken up. Ben wondered what the next few days would hold. 

<><><>

Rey looked around in wonder. The villa and its island were more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. Set against the backdrop of lush trees, the stately green-domed structure looked out over a peaceful lake. Marble floors gave it a sense of elegance while the many terraces and outdoor hallways with their ivy covered columns made it seem less formal. The interplay of luxury and wildness created an entrancing image. 

In a word, it was perfect.

“What is this place?” she asked. 

“It’s called Varykino. It belonged to my grandmother’s family. I’ve never been here, but have always heard of it’s beauty.”

She turned and beamed at him. “Thank you! This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me.” 

Ben forgot how to breath for a minute. He was familiar with many of Rey’s faces; the way she scowled at him, the way her nose scrunched up sometimes, the fake smile that she wore as a mask, the smirk when she bested him at anything. He had never seen a genuine smile, certainly never imagined he might be on the receiving end of one. 

Dazedly, he trailed after her as she wandered through the villa. Her sense of wonderment as she explored flowed over him through the bond and he couldn't help but be swept away, falling under her spell. They came to a bedroom that was done up in shades of green and gold with large windows overlooking the lake, and Rey decided it would be her room. After a bit more exploring, they went in search of food. The cook gave them a basket of hard cheeses, meats, fruits, and fluffy rolls and told them to take the gondola to the island across the lake. 

Tucked under the shelter of a large tree, Rey unpacked the basket and began eating plump blumfruit, licking the juice off her fingers. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Ben watching her avidly, so she ate another one and looked him straight in the eye as she licked the juice more slowly. He turned a bright red and looked away. 

“Do I have something on my face?” she asked guilelessly. He shook his head and busied himself filling a plate. Internally, she was snickering, but her face was the picture of innocence. Deciding to take mercy on him, she asked if he knew how to swim. 

“I haven’t done it in a long time, but I do know how.”

Rey nodded. “It’s a valuable life skill. I almost drowned on Ahch-To. You can teach me after lunch.”

“I don't know, we’re not really prepared. We don’t have the proper attire.”

She stood up and started removing her clothes. “Oh, that’s nonsense, you don’t have to have special clothes to swim!”

Once she was down to her breast band and underwear, she waded into the water and gave a little yip. The day was warm, but the water was a little cooler than she had anticipated. “Come on, Ben, I know you won’t let me drown. It would be way too suspicious if I died the day after our wedding.”

With an exasperated grunt, he stood up, undressing layer by layer. It was a good metaphor for what the past month with Rey had been. It felt like she had been peeling back the layers of who he had become. It was a little nerve wracking, becoming vulnerable, realizing that without Snoke’s voice in his head, he wasn’t sure who he was. 

Rey was in far enough that the water came to her rib cage, so he shelved the introspection and joined her in the water. 

  
  


<><><>

Swimming lessons had been a success, fun even. It seemed unreal that she was having fun with Kylo Ren. Whether he’d enjoyed it was another thing. It seemed like he had loosened up after some drinks the other night, so after she was in dry clothes, she went to speak with the cook about setting up a special dinner with drinks paired to each course. 

After that, she retired to one of the many terraces to read the book she had taken from the house on Scarif. It was just as enlightening as the book about Bastila Shan and Darth Revan, and it was almost as if the Force had guided her to both books. 

The one she was reading now was called  _ The Book of Shadows.  _ It contained spells and rituals of a sect of Force users called the Nightsisters. They channeled the Force much differently than the Jedi or even the Sith, and Rey was fascinated by their use of something called spirit ichor. Most interesting to her was the way they didn’t see the light side and dark side as good and evil respectively, two energies diametrically opposed. Instead, they used both indiscriminately. The Force was simply the Force. 

Rey needed to know more, she needed access to more books. The wheels were spinning in her mind and a plan began to form. 


	12. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we take one step forward, two steps back as our protagonists fight over who's the boss.

Ben was in his room catching up on reports. He wasn’t supposed to be working, but he didn’t know how else to occupy his time. Leisure was a foreign concept. It was hard to focus, though, when his mind kept coming back to Rey. _His wife._ The way she had comforted him and then clung to him in the night. It only made him more certain that they could still be _together_ , if only he could figure out how not to kriff things up. The suave Solo gene seemed to have passed him over. A knock came at the door, and he opened it to find the villa’s steward, who bowed. 

“Her majesty requests your presence at dinner in the Room of Morning Mists this evening at 0800. May I give her your reply?”

This was all so formal and unusual. It made him nervous, but Leia had instilled courtly manners into him from a young age. 

“Of course, please inform her that I would be delighted.”

The servant bowed once more, and Ben decided to work off some of his nervous energy by going through forms on the largest terrace. 

Perhaps it was mean spirited, but Rey was enjoying her game of making Ben feel unsettled. She relished making him blush and stutter, it was an entertaining distraction from the reality of Palpatine’s axe hanging over their (and Chewie’s) heads. 

Tonight’s costume was very daring. Glittering back cap sleeves gave way to a black bodice that clung tight to Rey’s torso, baring the skin in a deep vee. The material nearest to her breasts was covered in tiny gold beads. At her hips, the gauzy skirt flowed out, a high cut slit in the front revealing glimpses of her legs. Her hair fell in relaxed waves around her shoulders. 

Rey had never given her appearance too much thought. Her body was a useful, capable vessel for her soul and that was that. Once she started spending time around women in the Resistance, she began to notice that where other women were soft and curvy, she was hard and spare. It hadn’t bothered her, she had simply become aware. 

She wasn’t quite sure why it mattered to her if Ben found her attractive on a physical level. But this dress made her feel stunning. Powerful. She hoped he thought so too. 

After a final glance in the mirror, Rey headed to her door to leave for dinner. Feeling a bit jittery, probably just hungry, she ran right into Ben. 

“I didn’t mean to startle you, I just thought I should escort you to the Room of Morning Mists as decorum dictates.” 

Rey rolled her eyes. “Ok, your royal darkness, I get it. You are well versed in the ways of the superior class,” she mocked to diffuse the nervousness she was feeling at the sight of Ben in a matching black formal jacket and pants, so different from the many layers he normally wore. 

He was also giving her a once over and appeared to be equally appreciative of her outfit. She smiled and took his arm. When he finally collected his wits, he asked “what is this all about?” 

“Oh, you know, it’s been a lovely day and I thought it would be fitting for it to have a pleasant ending. What better way than to enjoy delicious food from a room with a dazzling view?”

As they reached their destination, he realized she was right. It was a round room with arched openings, drapes tied back to reveal the setting sun, deep pink and purple and blue reflected in the water. The table in the center of the room held flickering candles. It was undeniably beautiful. 

The conversation was somewhat stunted at the beginning of dinner, but each course was paired with wine, and by the end of the second course, things were going much more smoothly. 

“You seem to know a great deal about a great many topics. Where does all your knowledge come from?” Rey asked. 

“As a child, I was very different from all of my peers, so I spent a lot of time alone. I filled my time with reading and calligraphy.”

“Did you get holobooks from a library?”

“Leia travelled for work, and many of the places we stayed had private libraries. I don’t know of any public libraries that exist anymore. We could start one.”

She nodded absentmindedly. She was trying to figure out how she could find out more about the Nightsisters on her own and had hoped there was a library somewhere with more holobooks about them. It was looking like she might have to go straight to the source. 

<><><>

By the end of dinner, they were both feeling full and relaxed. Ben had loosened up and was actually a good conversationalist. 

Rey gave a satisfied sigh as she peered out at the night sky. “This place is like a dream. I wish we never had to leave.”

Ben’s eyebrows rose in surprise at her use of the word ‘we’. She turned suddenly to face him and he quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression. Her eyes were searching his and he felt gentle probing tendrils in his mind like she was trying to get a read on him. Whatever she felt must have been satisfactory as she looked at him earnestly and spoke. 

“There is something I want to look into that I believe will help us defeat Palpatine. I just need you to buy me a little bit of time--”

“No.” 

A moment of stricken silence and then - “What do you mean no?”

“It’s very straightforward, I mean no you cannot run off.” 

She was beautiful in her rage, eyes blazing. “I am NOT asking for your permission. I’m going whether you cover for me or not. We need to take forward action, we can’t just wait around hoping that Force will reveal how we can use our bond in some new, powerful way to take down Palpatine.”

It reminded him uncomfortably of how many times he had wanted to fix injustices as a child and was told by both his mother and Luke on numerous occasions that he needed to see the big picture. But Rey couldn’t possibly expect him to just let her go with no information as to where she was going or when - or if - she would be back. They had responsibilities that couldn’t just be abandoned. 

She shoved past him and stormed toward her room. After she had some time to cool down, he would go talk some sense into her, see if they could find another way.

<><><>

  
  
  
  


Rey fumed all the way to her room. This man was insufferable! It seemed like for every bit of progress they made, he always pushed them back two steps. A loose plan was already formed in her mind. She would make no effort to hide her feelings of indignation so hopefully he wouldn’t come after her. When she reached her room, she slammed the door and went straight to the wardrobe. Of course, everything that had been packed for her was worthless, just a bunch of fancy dresses. Angrily, she started throwing dresses and shoes out of the wardrobe. When it was empty, she saw a dusty chest in the back. The clothes inside must have belonged to a previous tenant. Mostly it was more useless billowing nightgowns. But there, at the bottom, was a set of practical leggings, a tan sleeveless tunic with matching arm wraps, and underneath the clothes was a pair of sturdy boots and a leather belt. 

The leggings were a little too short and the shirt was rather large, but this would do quite nicely. Rey closed the chest and hid the clothes and boots in her fresher. Next, she filled a small sack with some of her jewelry that she could use to trade for food and transportation, all the while careful to focus on her feelings rather than her plan to leave. It wasn’t much of a plan, really, and there wasn’t too much more she could do to prepare. All she could do now was wait. 


End file.
